Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been replaced by another product. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.
The Canon SELPHY CP910 fits wireless snapshot printing technology into a package that’s not much larger than a thick paperback book. As personal photo printers go, it’s both portable and convenient, with thermal dye sublimation technology that eliminates the need for liquid inks.
The SELPHY CP910 uses a four-pass process to apply dye to photo paper, printing yellow, then magenta, then blue and finally black. This process is necessary because of the printer’s thermal dye sublimation technology, which uses a cassette of dye-covered film and heat to transfer ink to the surface of the photo.
Generally speaking, the printer produced decent photo prints with fairly robust color and reasonably sharp detail. However, one of our test prints had blacks that were washed out to the point of nearly being absent, and several photos had noticeable banding.
Another quirk is the digital printer’s paper, which has perforated extension tabs at either end of the cut sheet to facilitate feeding and refeeding for the four-pass photo printing process. Because the tabs serve a function, you can’t use generic photo paper in the SELPHY CP910, so you have to buy Canon’s proprietary paper.
When removed, these tabs leave behind rough edges, an unwelcome flaw on otherwise good-looking photo prints. That said, removing them is fairly simple – with the combination of stiff backing paper and a glossy finish, they basically crack and break off so you can remove them without tearing and mangling the paper.
The ink cassette and photo paper are generally sold together in bundled packs, with an equal allotment of photo paper and ink. Based on the price of the bundles, each photo costs an average of 35 cents, which makes the SELPHY CP910 one of the more affordable snapshot printers we reviewed.
The optional battery makes the printer portable, but even without it, the device’s compact 7 x 5 x 2.4-inch dimensions make it small enough to carry in a backpack or carryon bag. The lack of liquid ink actually makes it a bit more travel-friendly, since there’s no potential for spills when it’s packed in luggage. It’s not quite so compact during use, though, since you need to attach a 7-inch long paper tray to the front for printing. You don’t even need to connect the SELPHY to a PC to print, thanks to mobile printing through Canon’s Easy-PhotoPrint app and built-in support for USB drives, media cards and PictBridge-enabled cameras.
Canon covers the compact photo printer with a one-year warranty. Live support personnel can be reached via phone, live chat through the Canon website and email. Online support tools include a user manual, FAQs and a user forum.
The Canon SELPHY CP910 prints decent-quality photos, and with its compact design, wireless connectivity and optional battery, it is a convenient and portable snapshot printer. Combine those features with a good per-photo cost and a reasonable price tag, and the Canon SELPHY CP910 is a pretty tempting alternative to the top photo printers.
